Withdraw From Housing

Want to withdraw from housing and the College?

If you are withdrawing from the College for any reason for the Spring 2010 semester, you must withdraw from housing as well. The Withdrawal from Housing Form is on ResLife On-Line. However, before you fill out the form, you must contact the ResLife Office at 585-385-8281 in order to receive approval to access the form. You have until December 21st to withdraw without being charged the contract release fee.

Want to withdraw from housing only?

Your Residence Hall Contract [pdf] is binding for the entire academic year. Any student who wishes to be released from the housing contract, but remain a full-time student at St. John Fisher College must follow the housing contract appeal process.

Contract Appeal Process

Releases from the contract are granted in rare cases with appropriate documentation. You may appeal to be released from the Residence Hall Contract [pdf] if faced with an extraordinary medical or financial situation that has occurred after the contract was originally signed.

To request a release from your housing contract, you need to write a formal appeal letter outlining the specific reasons you wish to break your housing contract. Based on the reasons outlined in the letter, your request will be forwarded through the appropriate channels (for example the Wellness Center or Financial Aid).

Medical Releases:
If you have a medical condition that you believe may warrant a release from the housing contract, the College requires that you provide appropriate documentation of the condition from your treating physician stating why it is medically necessary for you to move off campus. In addition, this letter must include a medical diagnosis and treatment plan. This letter must be on letterhead, not a prescription note pad. This information is then reviewed with the College Physician. If, when reviewed by the Director of the Wellness Center and the College Physician, the release request is deemed to be insufficient, you may receive a request for more detailed information or a denial based on lack of information. Please do not send this information to our attention, send it directly to: Ms. Maureen Niche, Wellness Center Director, St. John Fisher College, 3690 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618.

Financial Releases:
If the need to break the contract is financial, you need to show how your financial situation has changed significantly since you moved on-campus and more specific documentation may be requested. Financial information will be reviewed with the Financial Aid Office and/or the Bursar's Office.

Letters of appeal will be acted on as soon as they are received.

Any student who appeals and is granted a release from his/her contract for any reason will be subject to a $500.00 contract break fee.

If you appeal and are released from the contract, room and board refunds are given per the College refund policy. The refund policy can be found on the Bursar's Office Website. Additionally, releases will be subject to the contract release fee. 

If you appeal and are not released from the contract, room and board charges still apply.

If you have any further questions about this process, please contact the ResLife office at (585) 385-8281 or reslife@sjfc.edu.

Contract Release Fee

Anyone who is approved for release from this Contract or is removed from housing for student conduct reasons is subject to a $500.00 contract release fee.

Students who are withdrawing from the College for the Spring semester for any reason must withdraw from housing before 4:30pm on December 21, 2009 in order to avoid the contract release fee.

Students who graduate from the College mid-year, leave for study-abroad, or are academically dismissed will not be charged the contract release fee.

More Information About Withdrawals

Room and board charges are refunded per the College Refund Policy. The date of withdrawal is the official Residence Hall checkout date or the completion of the Withdrawal from Residence Form, whichever is later. NOTE: If a student is academically dismissed, or is otherwise not enrolled for the spring semester s/he must remove all personal belongings from the Residence Halls prior to January 11, 2010. Belongings left after this date will be removed at the student's expense and/or donated to charity.